Did you recently have to remove a permanent tooth because of medical reasons? Were you skeptical to ask can you drink coffee after a tooth extraction?
Well, you aren’t alone as I have also been in your exact situation. After my first tooth extraction, I had to be extra careful by monitoring what should and shouldn’t go into my mouth during my healing period. Surprisingly, a lot of people are in the same dilemma, hence, my reasons for this article.
Tooth extraction is one of the most uncomfortable medical surgeries as the bleeding doesn’t stop completely instead the blood clots. This clot needs to be taken care of carefully by the person because certain liquids can mess up the clot healing process.
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Should I Take Coffee?
I know this is the main reason for this article and you need a one-word answer. But the answer depends on the severity of your tooth extraction.
There is no definite no or yes as some dentists do not advise against the intake of coffee, while some strongly disregard it. You must take heed of your dentist’s instructions as they know better than you do.
For Severe Tooth Extraction
NO, it is not advisable to take coffee. According to WebMD and Colgate, it is not advisable to take coffee after tooth extraction because hot coffee can dissolve the already formed clots, and heat should not come in contact with an open wound healing process in the first 24hours of the extraction.
Depending on your severity, coffee can increase your risk of developing a dry socket. A dry socket is the inability of your wound to develop a blood clot before healing, as a blood clot signifies healing.
For Mild Tooth Extraction
For coffee freaks who cannot go a day without it, you can take COLD coffee as advised as caffeine has little to no effect after tooth surgery to most people. This can only be taken 48hours after the surgery. But it is strongly advisable to avoid caffeine because it sometimes messes up the tooth healing process.
Why is Coffee not Recommended?
The intake of coffee and its effect differ from person to person as some people have more reactions to coffee than others. There are benefits of coffee intake in athletic and business life but not so much in medicine. Though it is used in the creation of some painkillers, it is still not recommended.
Here are some reasons you should avoid coffee after your tooth extraction;
- It is a blood thinner: According to vascular health clinics, caffeine can thin out the blood vessels and cause high blood pressure and palpitations. It can raise your anxiety issues and those are the least things to happen to you when you are in pain.
- It can lead to loss of bladder control: Coffee increases the need to go to the bathroom frequently and that is not the best practice for someone who has an hour-long surgery that requires keeping still. Even after the surgery, you are required to have less movement and more resting. How would this be possible if you continue your frequent visits to the bathroom?
- It can cause you to lose more calcium in your frequent urine passage: Your tooth extraction needs every calcium it can get for healing, but if you frequently waste on every trip to the bathroom, how will you heal efficiently?
When is it safe to start taking coffee?
Irrespective of your tooth severity, taking coffee is safe after 4-5 days from the tooth extraction date, as the tooth should have almost completely healed, though healing time is different from person to person.
How long does it take the tooth to heal?
According to Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons, the tooth healing process depends on the type of immune system you possess. The first 24 hours are the sorest time as clotting begins and your body begins to heal the sutures.
Your extraction region may begin to swell, but that is nothing an ice pack cannot fix. Bleeding that lasts for more than 48 hours should immediately be reported to the doctor.
Slight bleeding and more healing take place 1-3 days after as the body majorly focuses on healing which may result in soreness. Changing your gauze is recommended as enough blood would have been absorbed.
Ensure you elevate your head when resting and take pain medications if the soreness heightens. Floss and brush as usual but avoid the extraction region as it is still tender. Ensure you use saline or salt and water to rinse your mouth but do not gargle in the extracted region.
Post 1-4 weeks should involve completely healed clots and tooth sockets, getting rid of sutures by your dentist if they are non-dissolvable and routine check-up with your dentist. Everything should be back to normal in no time as all soreness and discomfort should have gone. You can now re-introduce hard foods and drinks.
So generally, it takes at most a month of discomfort till you get properly healed.
Recommended food intake during the period of your tooth extraction
Your healing process will feature a change in your eating pattern, as too hot or cold food can cause damage. It is recommended that lukewarm or slightly cold drinks should be taken, these drinks include mostly water and sometimes pure fruit juice or unflavored coffee. Avoid sugary drinks, carbonated drinks, and alcohol because of the chemicals they contain.
Food should very soft and easily chewable, this is to avoid putting strain on your mouth which will, in turn, put the strain on the extracted region. Foods like warm soup, puddings, mashed potatoes, yogurt, smoothies, and applesauce are recommended.
Avoid foods that are spicy, sticky, and crunchy as they can get into your teeth and the extracted region.
Aftercare for a tooth extraction
The aim of your tooth extraction is to provide you relief from that badly grown tooth, rotten tooth, or for any of your cosmetology reasons. Aftercare is to ensure you don’t develop any complications afterward, these complications include a dry socket or contaminated sutures.
There are several aftercare methods you should adhere to ensure your smooth recovery, they include;
1. Bruising, swelling, and bleeding
Bruising, swelling, and bleeding post-care method includes;
- The use of an ice pack to reduce visible swelling.
- Do not spit out any form of liquid unnecessarily to avoid dislodging the blood clots.
- Bite gently on the provided gauze to reduce the bleeding and promote clot formation
2. Rest
Resting is one of the important post-care activity as every energy needs to be conserved to channel the body into healing to the sutures and it involves;
- Limiting any strenuous exercise for the first 24 hours.
- Take caution when doing any physical activity such as getting up from a recliner position
- When resting on a flat surface, ensure you prop up your head region with a pillow to avoid the pooling of blood.
3. Mouth Care
- Avoid using any straw for the first three days as it increases and draws pressure to the back of your mouth, which is usually near the extracted region.
- For the first 48 hours floss and rinse with salt or saline water.
- You can begin brushing away from the extracted region from the third day with a soft brush
- Do not dislodge the already formed blood clot.
- Avoid smoking or any smoking-related activity
- Don’t poke into the extracted hole; you may be tempted at first because it will feel empty.
4. Pain
- Take the already prescribed pain-relieving drugs recommended and ensure you use them religiously.
- Do not take aspirin for pain as it is a blood thinner and will delay clot formation.
5. Suture
After the extraction, your dentist will tell you whether the sutures made are self dissolvable or not. If they are not, do not keep the sutures for a long time, visit the dentist to get rid of them.
6. Reasons to visit the doctor
Apart from regular check-up or final suture removal, urgently visit the doctor if any of the following is happening to you;
- Jaw stiffness that lasts for more than 24 hours.
- Loss of sensation in either your left or right side of your chin and lips
- Difficulty in swallowing or breathing
- Pus or ooze in the extracted socket
- Severe headache that cannot be relieved by the recommended pain killers
- Swelling for more than 48 hours
- Fever
- Excessive bleeding
Conclusion
Overall it is not recommended to take coffee after your tooth extraction, but it is excusable for coffee freaks. Ensure you don’t take it very hot or cold or with a straw.
You should take it warm with little to no topping that can get lost in your teeth. You can write your further questions or recommendations in the comment section below for me to see.
If you have any complications after the extraction, kindly go to the dentist as it might be a risk of infection or a dry socket in formation. Do not wait a day or more believing every abnormality going on is normal.
Worst experience of my fucking life I’m now on day 4 and the pain gets worse every single day
How are you feeling now? It’s been a couple days
My headache is severe after wisdom tooth removal. Its been 41 hours and i am craving for tea
It’s been one week since I’ve had my 4 impacted wisdom teeth out. I still have some jaw stiffness, but I think the extraction sites are doing well. The thing that’s driving me nuts is I still have no feeling in the left side of my chin, left lower lip, and about 5 teeth and gums surrounding it. Is this normal?
no not at all , how did this turn out? did you see a dentist about this happening
This article craps on and on and on and on and on.. I could not give a f**k about reasons for getting a teeth pulled. The story is “can I drink coffee after a tooth extraction” not all the other crap in this story.. Wow. What a way to piss people who are in pain off.
I had a tooth extraction and it’s been two days after the procedure. The bleeding stop yesterday after 1hr after the extraction. I had a mild ache that Motrin did help.
I’m following everything my dentist told me to do. My only issue is I am on my second day without coffee. I feel tired and a mild headache. I know it’s not from the tooth. I am diligent to follow my dr advise. Lol the food I’m eating will probably make me lose some weight. My dentist was great. I didn’t feel any pain after.